Vegetable washer



Oct. 22, 1940- H. N. SHOWERS VEGETABLE WASHER Filed Deg. 20, 1938 3Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

ATTORNEYS;

Oct. 22, 1940.

H. N. SHOWERS VEGETABLE WASHER Filed'Dec. 20, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

ATTORNEYS.

Oct. 22, 1940- H. N. SHOWERS VEGETABLE WASHER Filed Dec. 20, 1938 3Sheets-Sheet 3 fvz/QPv (SHOWERS INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Oct. 22, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT [OF ICE This inventionrelates to apparatus: designed primarily for use in washing vegetablesand the like.

I An object of the invention is to provide a struc-a -ture in whichvegetables can be thoroughly scoured so as to leave the machine in aclean condition ready for shipment after they have been properly dried.t

A further object is to'providea means for subjecting the vegetables orthe like to the action of opposed moving sprayers so that all portionsof the material under treatment will be reached, the spraying meansbeing housed so that the spray will be confined and it is thus possibleto use the apparatus without danger of wetting persons handling thesame. 7

A still further object is to provide washing apparatus which is simplein construction and easy to operate.

20 With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details ofconstruction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully describedand pointed out in the 25 claim, it being understood that changes may bemade in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing fromthe spirit of the invention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred 30 form of the invention hasbeen shown.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the apparatus, a portion of the drivemechanism being broken away.

35 Figure 2 is a section on line 22, Figure 1. Figure 3 is a section online 3-3, Figure 2. Figure 4 is a plan view of one of the sprayers.Figure 5 is a vertical section through the hub portion of a sprayer.

40 Figure 6 is a View partly in side elevation and I partly in sectionof a spraying nozzle.

Figure 7 is an end view of the nozzle.

Figure 8 is a section on line 8-8, Figure 6.

Referring to the figures by characters of ref- 45 erence I designatesthe trough-like body of the apparatus which is supported on suitableuprights 2, The bottom of this body is inclined downwardly to an outlet3. Transverse shafts 4 are located in the end portions of the body andare provided with sprockets 5 or the like for supporting and operatingan endless belt. In the present instance this belt is made up ofparallel endless chains 6 connected by spaced rods 1 on which thevegetables or other materials to be 55 washed are placed. The belt isactuated by any suitable mechanism. For example a worm gear 8 can besecured to one of the shafts '4 and actuated by a speed reductionmechanism indicated generally at 9, this mechanism being driven by amotor I0 pivotally located. f

-' overlying the middle portion of the top flight of the endless beltformed by chains 6 and rods 'I--is an upper housing II. Curtains I2formed-of any suitable material of a flexible nature are used to closethe inlet and outlet ends of the upper.

housing.

A water supply pipe I3 is located outside of the body I and has alaterally extended branch I 4 from which a pipe I5 is extended upwardly.Outlet pipes are extended from pipes I3 and I5 through one side of thebody and into position between the upper and lower flights of the belt.

Each of these pipes I6 is provided at its inner end with an elbow IIadapted to deliver water under tating hub I9 of the sprayer, this hubbeing held against displacement by any suitable means, although beingcapable of rotating freely. Preferably four tubular arms are carried byand radiate from the hub l9 and each of these arms is provided at itsouter end with an elbow 2I in the upper end of which is seated a screwplug 22. This plug hasa. fiat end 23 forming a shoulder through whichopens a delivery passage 24 extending through the plug 22 and locatedaway from the longitudinal center thereof. An elongated spraying finger25 is extended outwardly from the shoulder 23 at one side thereof andoverhangs the passage 24, that surface of the finger which overhangs thepassage being V- shaped transversely so that a jet of water, whendischarged from the passage, will be split by said V-shaped surface anddissipated laterally thereby.

The pipes I3 and I5 are extended upwardly at one side of the upperhousing II and over the top thereof where they project downwardly intothe housing and are connected to rotating sprayers 25 similar inconstruction and operation to the ones thus far described but theseupper sprayers 26 are inverted so that the jets of water will bedischarged downwardly instead of upwardly.

A header 2! is extended laterally fro-m pipe I at a point slightly abovethe level of the top flight of the belt and this header has branch pipes28 extending therefrom through the adja'cent side wall of the upperhousing I I where it is provided with spraying nozzles 29 of anysuitable construction adapted to project a spray transversely across thematerial resting on the ing ll.

belt. Suitably arranged valves 353 can be provided for controlling theflow of water through the pipes.

It is intended to so position the spraying nozzles that, when the wateris delivered therefrom,

it will react against the atmosphere to set up a rotation of thesprayerabout its point of connection with the pipe supporting it.

In practice the vegetables or other materials to be washed are placed onthe upper flight of the belt above one end of the body I. This beltmoves quite slowly and serves to carry the supported material under thefirst or nearest curtain I2 and into the upper housing ll. Here thematerial passes between the upper and lower revolving sprinklers, thespraying head's operating to direct spray under pressure upwardly anddownwardly onto the supported vegetables or the like as they travelthrough the upper hous- At the same time these vegetables are subjectedto the action of the transverse jets deing this delivery, the sprinklersare rotating so' that all parts of the vegetables, etc., will thus besubjected'to the action of the Water.

By providing the curtains l2 at the inlet and outlet ends of the upperhousing, water is prevented from splashing upon persons operating theapparatus and is kept confined within the upper housing and the bodythereunder.

What is claimed is:

A rotary spraying element including a rotary hub, means for directingliquid thereto under pressure, tubular arms radiating from the hub, andnozzles at the free ends of the arms, each nozzle including a plugseated in the outlet end of the arm, an outlet opening extending throughthe plug away from the longitudinal center thereof, anelongated sprayingfinger extending "outwardly from and integral with the plug at one sideof the opening, said finger being V- 'shaped in cross section and havingan arcuate surface alined with the plug and a longitudinal ridgeinclined relative to the end of the plug, said ridge being obliquelydisposed relative to and extending across the axial center of the outletopening, the finger being positioned to split a jet of liquiddeliveredfrom the opening and to exert a propelling force to rotate the hub andarms, said plug and finger being adjustable about the axis of the armoutlet thereby to change the direction and speed of rotation.

HARRY N. SHOWERS.

